


Serendipity

by UnbiddenRhythm



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: Boss/Employee Relationship, Crushes, Developing Friendships, F/M, Pining, specifically crushing on your boss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-25
Updated: 2020-05-25
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:48:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,101
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24378250
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UnbiddenRhythm/pseuds/UnbiddenRhythm
Summary: Reeve's assistant gets to know a new Turk. Turns out, they've got a few things in common.
Relationships: Elena/Tseng (Compilation of FFVII), One-Sided - Relationship, Reeve Tuesti's Assistant & Elena (Compilation of Final Fantasy VII), Reeve Tuesti/Reeve Tuesti's Assistant
Comments: 12
Kudos: 32





	Serendipity

Rita checked her watch—6:44 PM. One minute, now.

Right on time, Tseng emerged from his office, flanked by a woman Rita thought seemed familiar and yet didn't recognize. Coiffed blonde hair and sharply dressed, Rita could only assume she was a new recruit for the Department of Administrative Research.

…it had been a while since she'd met a new Turk.

Tseng greeted her with a curt nod. "We've been expecting you." Likely spying Rita's curious expression, he gestured to the woman beside him. "This is Elena, the newest member of our team." Elena nodded as Tseng affixed Rita with his inscrutable gaze, "And Miss Rita here is Director Tuesti's right-hand woman."

"That's...too kind," Rita felt herself grow hot at the compliment. Tseng gave her a cat-like smile.

"His words."

Tseng handed her a thick black envelope. "Please give the Director my regards." He bowed to her. Then, Tseng and Elena made their way down the corridor, and Rita returned to the elevator, still warm from Tseng's remark.

... _His_ words?

* * *

When Rita arrived at the Director's office she forced herself to stop pondering. Her crush on Reeve wasn't something she could deny any longer, but it also wasn't something she seriously indulged. And she lived life accordingly.

Rita approached the Director's desk, but so engrossed in his project, he failed to realize. "I'm sorry to bother you, sir..."

He startled, clearly surprised she was there.

"Did you really make it all this way without me noticing?"

She smiled sympathetically. "You had a good flow, I hated to interrupt."

He waved her off. "It's fine. I need the break, anyway.” Rita handed him the black envelope. He looked...tentative taking it from her, as if he already knew its contents and was none too excited about them. Never the less, he gave her a polite smile. "Thank you."

"Of course, sir. Anything else?"

"No, that should be all."

"That's great. I'll be taking off then, Director."

"Have anything fun planned for the evening?" She felt a flutter in her stomach. Why not be honest?

"I have a date tonight."

...Did she imagine that his body tensed suddenly, or that his tone wasn't entirely even when he asked, "Oh? ...With the guy from VR?"

"Oh, no, that didn't work out—mutually." Rita felt her cheeks tingle with embarrassment. She made no apologies for dating casually, but she also couldn't deny to herself that she felt...well, guilty for doing so, much less admitting it openly to him. Ridiculous, really. Reeve and Rita _weren't a thing_.

"Actually, she works at the cafe near my apartment. We're just going for drinks, nothing serious."

"Well," Reeve smiled at Rita—was she imagining that it seemed strained, didn't meet his eyes?—"I hope you have a great time."

* * *

_This is not a great time,_ Rita thought as she sipped her second beer and stared at the still empty seat next to her. Worst of all, she wouldn't be able to show her face in that cafe in a while...and she loved that place too...

Coiffed blonde hair filtered into her view, seizing Rita's attention. The Turk that she had met before—

"Elena?"

The younger woman jumped and turned, seeming on edge. Rita gave a friendly smile, and Elena dropped her guard.

"Oh, you're... _Right-hand woman,_ " Elena gave her a small grin.

"Rita."

"Right. Your delivery go smoothly?" Elena's casual tone surprised Rita. Usually the Turks made no overt references to the relationship between the Director and their department.

"Smoothly as can be. I delivered a file—nothing more." She kept her tone calm, hoping Elena got the hint Rita knew little about whatever working arrangements Reeve and the Turks shared. Not that she wasn't curious but...well, better to leave that alone.

"So," Rita casually scanned the bar and then back to Elena as she changed the subject, "You here meeting someone, or...?"

"Nah," Elena shook her head, "just here for a drink after work." She looks Rita up and down. "And you?"

"I've been stood up." And maybe it was the alcohol, or her own curiosity, or the warmth of Elena's brown eyes, but Rita gestured to the seat empty beside her. "Wanna sit?"

Elena looked genuinely happy—if surprised—by the offer, and wasted no time settling in, ordering herself a beer. "Thanks. I usually don't hang out with other people when I come here." She frowned. "I've been trying get to know the other Turks, but, ugh, sometimes they can be a little much. It's nice to have a place they don't know about, y'know?"

Rita felt amused; Elena was...a _chatty_ Turk.

How interesting.

* * *

Rita nursed her third beer, her body buzzing blissfully. Elena had caught up to her in quickly in drinks and background information _—Turks._

They'd already covered the basics. Rita found herself being honest about being the granddaughter of Mayor Domino—not something she typically divulged, but she found talking to Elena easy. Yet, she didn't expect Elena to admit that she, too, knew what it felt like to have 'connections'.

"Pressure's what you feel, that's what," she said, tone flat. "Always have to be perfect, or better. Tha's how it was with my sister, anyway. Former Turk."

The memory clicked in Rita's mind. "That's it! I thought you looked familiar." At Elena’s sullen face, Rita realized her mistake. _Ah._ Touchy subject.

“You know Emma?”

“Not really,” Rita admitted, which seemed to set Elena at ease. Rita elected to change the subject to their interests ( _Work_ ) or things they did during their time off ( _Nothing fun,_ they commiserated together).

And now, Elena chomped at the bit to chat about juicier topics.

 _"_ "Being stood up sssucks..." Elena slurred. "Sorry for you. You beat up?"

"I'll survive."

Elena took another gulp before asking, "But, what about your boss?"

Rita's heart quickened. "What _about_ my boss?"

"I mean, don't you like him?" Now Rita's heart felt lodged in her throat.

"Where'd you hear that?" she asked, weakly.

Elena seemed oblivious to Rita's discomfort. "Tseng basically all but said it. Dropping things like 'the Director thinks _highly_ of _Miss Rita's...loyalty_ , _"_ Elena exaggerated this last word with dramatically raised eyebrows. "But he also said that you're both too chocobo to do anything about it."

Rita felt sure her face looked beet red. "I probably shouldn't have said that.” Elena hiccuped, “Tseng says I need to work on having 'less of a mouth'."

"Oh, does he?" Rita responded, dryly.

"I'm _trying_ ," Elena scrunched her nose, looking forlorn. Rita patted her shoulder. "So...got any tips?"

"Tips?"

"About surviving. You know. When you have a crush on your boss."

Rita scoffed. "I don't know what Tseng's talking about." Elena laughed.

"Yeah right, your face is redder than your hair!" This didn't help matters for Rita. She hid her face in her palms. "Oh, now," it was Elena's turn to pat Rita reassuringly. "I don't think less of you."

"Oh," Rita rejoined, "because you have a crush on your boss, too?" Elena blushed now. "I figured you asked because you're in my same boat."

Elena mumbled something under her breath, but didn't make a strong denial. There was something about the woman—maybe it was the warmth in her brown eyes, the eagerness and devotion to a _cause,_ a person—that made Rita feel a connection to her.

"Okay, so," Rita winced at how thick her tongue felt in her mouth. She took a sip of water before saying, "Surviving when you're crushing on your boss. 'Kay. Firs' thing: be excellent. At your job. And everything, really."

"No pressure," Elena drawled.

“Nothing we can’t handle.”

“…Fair,” Elena grinned.

Rita continued. "When I go above and beyond, Reeve praises me..." she pressed her palm to her chest as she sighed, "and it's the _best_ feeling."

"Wai-wait. You call him _Reeve?"_ Elena laughed. "I thought you were super formal, all 'Director' and 'sir'."

Rita blushed again. "I only call him that in my head, or when he's not around. I usually refer to him by titles when we're together. But..." Rita pointed out, "we _have_ known each other for a long time. Practically a decade..." She trailed off with the realization, lost in thought for a moment before Elena punched her arm to snap her out of the trance.

"Back to Gaia?"

"Sorry—anyway. I'm always professional with him."

"Does it bother you? That you can't call him by his name? I mean, even I can say 'Tseng'."

"Not at all," Rita answered. "It's not that I _can't_ say it. But he's worked hard for the title, and has given up a lot. He likes when people use it."

A wicked grin crept across Elena's face. "More like, when _you_ do."

"Oh, stop." Rita's entire body felt hot, like all of her was red with the flush of alcohol, embarrassment at Elena's teasing, and the arousal of the thought of _...that._

"I'm just saying," Elena waved Rita off, "anyway. What's the next tip?"

"Next tip, next tip, let's see. Ah—don't give in to distractions." Rita sipped more water. "That means, it doesn't matter how cute he looks on a given day, or how endearing he acts, you've _got_ to focus."

"Endearing? What do you mean?"

"You know," Rita tried to explain, "when he talks about his 'Ma' or gets really excited about a new playground project. And his whole face lights up, and he actually seems happy for once. That sort of thing." A smile settled on her face as she let herself sink into fond memories.

Elena snorted. "Tseng is _not_ what I would call an 'endearing' type. No parent talk, and definitely no 'playground projects'." A dark shadow crossed Elena's face. "That's not a side anyone sees of Tseng."

Rita felt awkward, even pitying for Elena. "What are some things you like about him, if not being endearing?"

Elena scrunched her face and thought.

"Well, there's the whole 'hot as hell, dangerous man thing'," Elena started listing.

"Of course."

"But also, y'know. Professional. Cool under pressure. I wish I could keep myself in check like he does. He can seem..." Elena looked for the right word, "cold. But he _does_ care—in his own way. And he makes sure we're taken care of."

Rita smiled. "I think that counts as 'endearing'. But if it will ruin his Turk-cred or something..." Elena laughed.

"Maybe I just won't ever tell him that..." They both laughed together this time, and when Rita took in a deep breath she felt lighter than she had in _years_. When was the last time she'd laughed with a friend like this...?

...hell, when had she last _made_ a friend?

"Any others?" Elena prompted her.

Rita pondered. She didn't like where her mind traveled. After a long silence, she said, "Don't let yourself actually believe it."

"Hm?"

"The illusion. The game." Rita sighed. "It's fun to pretend, that he might return your affection. But..." she thumbed the rim of her glass, staring at the gold liquid, "he's your boss. And he's a professional, and he prides himself on being so. And that means...you can't actually let yourself believe it. Because then...it will hurt too much. And you _won't_ survive."

Between them, silence hung thick even among the din of the rest of the bar goers.

"Well, damn." Elena huffed. "You're a depressing drunk."

"...Sorry," Rita mumbled.

"And I don't think that's true." Elena blurted. "At least, not for _you_."

"What do you mean?"

"Well. Maybe it's true—about Tseng." Elena pouted before moving on. "But I dunno about Tuesti. When Tseng told me about the two of you earlier," she explained to Rita, "I didn't get the impression that you don't have a chance, or that it's one-sided. If anything, it sounded like _Reeve's_ already got it bad for you."

Rita perked, though her doubt lingered. Elena continued, emboldened. "I mean it! The way it seemed from Tseng, the biggest thing holding both of you back is that your boss doesn't want you to feel pressured or anything like that." Elena took a long swig of a her drink then said, "I bet if you made the first move, he'd go along."

"No."

"Think about it." A gleam shone in Elena's eye. "Did you tell him what you were doing tonight?"

"Well, yeah."

"And how did he react?"

Rita pondered a moment before saying, "I thought he seemed...tense." Then she shook her head. "But that doesn't _mean_ anything."

Elena shushed her, face glinting with analysis. "You said 'tense.' You mean, his body?" She pursed her lips. "Think, Rita. Be a Turk now. What other physiological changes did you observe?"

"I dunno. When he smiled it didn't seem to meet his eyes? Is that even a thing?"

Elena looked smug. "Ahh, you observed stress in the face. That's crucial—excellent, anything else?"

...Rita found herself astounded. Instantly, Elena had shifted into special agent mode and Rita couldn't help but admit she felt impressed.

"His shoulders—they were stiff, after I told him I had a date. And his voice sounded...not like it usually did."

"So, overall, sounds like he had a strong reaction to the news..." Elena's hand motioned in a wave, trying to lead Rita to her point. But Rita felt obstinate.

"I think that this is reading too much into things."

"Tell you what, Reetz," the slur in Elena's voice slipped again. "Just wait tomorrow and see if he asks you about your night. If he does...well, you know he's interested."

"He always asks me about myself—that doesn't mean anything."

"Fine!" Elena threw up her hands, exasperated. "Then here's a different idea— _you_ try asking him out, for a drink or just a walk or anything. I _bet_ he gives you a response that tells you _exactly_ where you stand." The blonde woman looked smug in spite of the fact she had to lean against the bar to stay upright. "He's the 'noble' type, yeah? He _needs_ you to make the first move."

Rita had to admit the thought of it sounded...intriguing. She couldn't deny that sometimes it seemed she provoked different _reactions_ from the Director. Was it really a matter of him holding back? If she laid her interest bare, would he reciprocate?

"But if he doesn't, then I've torched my career."

"You really think he's like that? That he wouldn't just...be professional about the whole thing, if you're wrong? I mean," Elena sputtered, "the guy has to interact with _Scarlet_ most days. Would you asking him out and him being uninterested really be the worst part of his work life?"

 _Dammit_. She had a point, Rita conceded.

"Fine. I'll humor you, Elena. When I see him tomorrow I'll ask him to go out."

Elena's smile dazzled. "Now _that's_ what I'm talking about!" She raised her hand to give Rita a high-five. "Where are you gonna go?"

Rita shrugged. "I think there's an art exhibition happening in Sector 8?"

Elena rolled her eyes. "Oh, you're a nerd." Then she cocked her head. "Although, given what I know about the Director, that probably works in your favor."

Rita laughed, feeling warm in a way she didn't expect. "I'm gonna let that slide, since you've been giving me what I hope is good advice." She winked.

"A toast," Elena raised her glass, "To good advice. And our hot bosses."

"To new friends," Rita said, draining her cup.

* * *

Rita felt sluggish the next day—likely from her overindulgence the night before—and she finished her tasks barely slower than her usual clip. Director Tuesti's schedule seemed fuller than typical; it was midday before they crossed paths.

"There you are," Reeve brightened when she entered the office, and Rita couldn't help but think on Elena's words. "Busy day?"

"It's been all right—nothing compared to yours, I'm sure," she replied kindly.

They settled into companionable silence, Rita organizing the next stack of contracts for his signature, when Reeve broke the silence.

"So," he cleared his throat. Rita would have described the action to Elena as 'timid'—she honed her attention on him. "How did your date go?"

"It didn't." She shrugged. "Stood up."

Rita would be a liar if she denied the pleasure she took in seeing Reeve's indignation on her behalf. " _No!_ Really!?" She laughed.

"Really."

"Well, I'm sorry."

"I'm not." Reeve looked unable to contain his surprise...and maybe even a smidge of happiness? Rita smiled.

"It's a funny story...but after I was stood up I made friends with a Turk."

Reeve laughed. "That certainly sounds like a good story. And also reminds me of how I got to know Tseng."

"Oh, now?"

"It's a good one—for later. So," he looked unable to contain his curiosity, "you're not usually one to be friendly with Turks. Who's so special?"

"Elena—the blonde." Reeve nodded.

"Ah, yes. I met her earlier this week."

"Fun." Rita chirped, then gave Reeve a meaningful glance. " _Chatty."_

He snorted. "Sounds like an interesting Turk.

"She is." Rita paused, musing over what to say next. "We actually have several things in common."

"Oh? Like what?"

Rita's smile looked impish. "Oh, just...things." She shrugged.

Reeve chuckled. "I can take a hint." He was smiling—he looked relaxed, handsome. She forced herself to heed tip number two and not be distracted, especially as Reeve said, "So...any plans for this evening? Trying again with last night's date?"

"Oh, no," Rita shook her head. "I'm not too bothered about last night. Like I said, it ended up just fine—I made a new friend. Call it 'serendipity.'" She thought about Elena's advice and mustered up her courage. "Actually, there's an art exhibit in Sector 8 I was hoping to check out tonight. I think it'd be a fun date." She met his gaze. "Would you like to come with me?"

His eyes widened with surprise, and his cheeks flushed an attractive pink as he asked, "Me?"

"Unless you have other plans?" She studied his expression—this was the opposite of his posture when he learned she had a date with someone _else_.

...He looked elated, Rita dared believe.

"No plans," Reeve said hurriedly, sounding breathless but nevertheless staring at her in wonder. Happy. "I'd love to join you tonight, Rita," his smile looked radiant.

"Fantastic," Rita felt a joyful thrill, heart leaping at the way her name sounded on his lips. "I'll meet you here tonight and we can leave together. _On time_ , Reeve," she winked, and Reeve's low rumble of laughter made heat pool in her abdomen.

"I promise."


End file.
